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Are you prepared for a hurricane?

Hurricane Sandy 2012, via NASA GOES

Now, early in the season, is the time to make a plan to stay safe if a hurricane approaches your area.

June 1 is the start of the Atlantic hurricane season each year. Now, early in the season, is the time to make a plan to stay safe if a hurricane approaches your area. If you live along the Gulf of Mexico or East Coast and don’t have a plan, I hope this post will prepare you. Sit down with your family and figure something out – now. Follow the links below to learn more:

If a hurricane is imminent … First, understand the difference between watches and warnings. Hurricane watches mean hurricane conditions (74 mile per hour winds or greater) are possible within 48 hours. Hurricane warnings means hurricane conditions are expected. If a hurricane is imminent …

Turn down your freezer and refrigerator to the coldest settings possible. If you lose electricity, your perishable foods will last longer.

Turn off propane tanks and small electrical appliances.

Consider whether you really want to stay at your house. The worst damage from hurricanes usually comes from storm surge and flooding. However, stronger hurricanes can produce violent winds that can cause damage to buildings and structures. Also, tropical systems are capable of producing small tornadoes. Do you want all of these possible impacts to threaten you and your family?

Pay careful attention to hurricane forecasts. Sometimes, Mother Nature can be unpredictable. A forecast Category One hurricane could end up being a strong Category Two, causing more damage than predicted. If you see hurricane watches or warnings for your area, that should be enough to influence you to leave. Do you have relatives that you can visit? Don’t be a brave soul and weather out the storm.

Galveston, Texas. Hurricane of 1900. Image Credit: NOAA

More links and other things to consider. Is your house in an area prone to flooding? If so, do you have flood insurance for your house? Check out Floodsmart.gov if you do not have flood insurance.

How does your community prepare for a hurricane? Is there a certain procedure the city follows in case of an evacuation?

The Red Cross has more information about being prepared for a hurricane.

Meteorologists’ main goal is to not only accurately forecast the weather, but to protect lives. They offer watches and warnings to prepare the public for life-threatening storms. Please do not ignore watches or warnings! Take every storm seriously. Hope for the best but expect the worst.

Bottom line: June 1, 2014 is the start of hurricane season. Are you prepared for a hurricane if one approaches your area? Do you have an evacuation plan? Now is the time to make a plan – before it’s too late. If you live along the Gulf of Mexico or East Coast and don’t have a plan, this post can help you prepare.

When he's not keeping EarthSky's community up-to-date on global weather happenings, meteorologist Matt Daniel is a Weather Producer at CNN. He has contributed to articles to MSN Weather and interned with the National Weather Service. He has had several stints interning at local television stations, including ABC 33/40 with James Spann in Birmingham, Alabama, 13 WMAZ in Macon, GA with Ben Jones, and he has worked with WNEG-TV behind the scenes with Eric Elliot. Matt is a graduate from the University of Georgia with a bachelor of science degree in Geography and Atmospheric Sciences. Matt has a passion for helping to keep people safe when severe weather strikes. He says if you don't have a NOAA Weather Radio, you should get one.